A pizza shop in Queens, NY, served as ground zero for an international drug-trafficking ring. The husband-and-wife duo running the restaurant reportedly had ties to the Genovese crime family (one of the “Five Families” dominating the New York mafia scene), and creatively hid shipments of cocaine in cargo containers marked “fresh cassava.”

Demand for organic produce in the U.S. is growing so fast, organic poultry and dairy operators are having to import non-GMO corn and soybeans from Romania and Turkey. Could those farmers wedded to Monsanto seeds be feeling remorse?

Roy Choi promises to deliver a burger that is locally sourced, sustainable and delicious — all for 99 cents. How? By eliminating food waste.

About

Mark Bittman writes (mostly) about food for the Times Opinion pages, and is The Magazine’s lead food columnist. He is the author of “VB6: Eat Vegan Before 6:00” and “How To Cook Everything”. His Web site is markbittman.com.